Tucker Carlson draws thousands in Calgary, speaks with Alberta Premier
Posted Jan 24, 2024 9:41 am.
Last Updated Jan 24, 2024 9:27 pm.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith joined political commentator Tucker Carlson on a Calgary stage Wednesday during the former Fox News host’s speaking engagement tour in two Canadian cities.
Calgary’s TELUS Convention Centre played host to the first event of the day: a seated lunch that was followed by remarks from Carlson, and a live question-and-answer with businessman W. Brett Wilson.
Carlson also hosted an event at Edmonton’s Rogers Place Wednesday evening.
When the event was announced in November, opposition NDP members of the legislature said the premier shouldn’t give time to such a divisive personality.
The premier’s office told CityNews she regularly does interviews with people who have beliefs she doesn’t agree with.
“The premier participates in a variety of public and private events and does interviews with dozens of reporters, broadcasters, and podcasters from across the political spectrum,” press secretary Sam Blackett said in a statement at the time. “Obviously, she does not subscribe to every view of every interviewer or reporter she speaks with whether that’s the CBC, the Toronto Star, or Tucker Carlson.
“The premier aims to share Alberta’s message with as many people as possible whether they’re from Alberta, Canada, or around the world.”
Carlson was let go from Fox News after the broadcaster lost a defamation lawsuit which cost Fox over $787 million against Dominion Voting Systems for claiming election fraud. Fox never publicly explained the firing, and Carlson said that “it really is one of those mysteries that I’ll probably never get to the bottom of.”
Carlson started his own streaming service in late 2023 and promised to ‘tell the unadorned truth’ to fans for $72 a year.”
He had partnered with X, formerly known as Twitter, for content after leaving Fox. He’ll still post material there, branded under his network, but said he determined X didn’t have the capacity to help him build out the service he needed.
-With files from Dione Wearmouth and The Associated Press.
